Rich, fruity and sweet, sloe gin is a deliciously plummy tipple that can be enjoyed all year around. It one-ups a gin cocktail and flavoured gin in sweetness with rich fruity notes derived from the fruit of the blackthorn.
This ruby red liqueur is made of gin and sloe berries and is super easy to make! It's a sloe process but if you have the patience it's certainly worth the wait. Forage for your own berries, buy online, make your own batch or gift to family and friends.
Top tips for making sloe gin
• While you can wait just 3 months for the berries to infuse, we'd recommend leaving it as long as possible for the flavour to really develop
• You can use fresh, frozen or dry sloes so don’t feel limited to having ripe, fresh sloe berries foraged at the right time of year. Some believe that sloes should be collected after first frost but this only gives a good indication of the fruit’s ripeness. You can check this yourself by giving the berry a gentle squeeze - still hard and it's not quite ready.
• Your sloe berries will need to be pierced to allow the juices to infuse. Freeze your sloe berries 24 hours ahead of time before making your sloe gin. Their skins will split which means you won't need to prick each individual sloe berry (quite the chore!)
• Try to avoid using low-quality gin. The process will not only emphasise your delicious sloe berries but your gin too. If you’re gin isn’t the best, the berries will be unlikely to mask the taste.
How to make sloe gin
Ingredients
1 litre bottle of gin
450g sloe berries
225g caster sugar
Equipment
1.5 - 2 litre glass jar
Sieve
Muslin cloth
Method
- Add your sloe berries to your large glass jar. If you are using dried sloes, soak your berries first for 24 hours to re-hydrate. If you don't freeze your berries beforehand to split their skins, pierce them before adding to the jar
- Add your sloe berries to your large glass jar. If you are using dried sloes, soak your berries first for 24 hours to re-hydrate. If you don't freeze your berries beforehand to split their skins, pierce them before adding to the jar
- Sprinkle your sugar over the berries before pouring over your gin of choice
- Seal your jar and shake to mix
- Store your sloe gin mix in a dry, cool place for a minimum of 3 months (max. 1 year) to allow the berries to infuse and the sugar to dissolve. Shake a few times during this period of time
- When ready, sieve your sloe gin mix with a muslin cloth into a clean bottle or jug to get your smooth sloe gin
- Leave ideally for another 6 months before consumption, but we wouldn't blame you if you can't wait!
Everything you need
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How to serve sloe gin
• Serve neat or over ice for a refreshing sweet hit
• For a sloe gin spritz, top with prosecco and soda
• For a sloe gin fizz cocktail, mix with lemon juice, syrup and an egg white before straining and topping with champagne
• Serve with lemon tonic water for an updated twist on your usual G&T
• Is vodka your tipple of choice? Switch the gin for vodka and follow the same process for a Sloe Vodka instead!